St Mirren goalkeeper Ryan Mullen has confirmed he will need surgery after picking up a quad injury during Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic.
The 24-year-old was filling in for first-choice keeper Shamal George for a second straight game, but his afternoon took a difficult turn early on when he made a costly mistake that allowed Daizen Maeda to open the scoring.
Things went from bad to worse shortly after. Inside the first 15 minutes, Mullen pulled up while clearing the ball under pressure from Arne Engels, and it quickly became clear he couldn’t continue. He was replaced by 17-year-old Grant Tamosevicius, who was thrown into the action much earlier than expected.
Given Mullen’s links to Celtic, a wave of unfair online speculation followed suggesting he had exaggerated or even faked the injury. Most of that noise came from social media chatter, with some Rangers fans leading the criticism, although even a few St Mirren supporters questioned the decision at the time.
Mullen has since moved to shut that down completely, confirming the injury is serious enough to require surgery.
Posting on Twitter, he opened up about the moment and the setback:
“To have a moment like that on Sunday was devastating. A mistake coupled up with blowing out my quad, wasn’t what I pictured the biggest opportunity so far in my career to go like.
“It was even harder to pluck up the courage to walk off the pitch, but ultimately the team must come first. The mistake and the pain were both something I could handle, but putting the team at risk didn’t sit right with me.
“To my family, friends, teammates and supporters, I want to thank you for the encouragement I’ve had, it has been so uplifting. I’ll be right behind yous the rest of the season and when we all pull in the same direction, it’s amazing what this team is capable of!
“To Granty, you are well beyond your years and should be proud of yourself for how well you done. The decision to come off was made easier knowing how capable you are!
“Surgery is next, and then a long road back. I’ve been at rock bottom and worked my way up from there – this isn’t that situation. It’s a privilege and an honour to be where I’m at right now, and I know exactly what it takes to get back to where I see myself going.
“Thank you for the incredible support, the best is yet to come”
A tough moment for the young keeper, but also a reminder of how quickly football can change direction. Hopefully his recovery goes smoothly, and those who rushed to judge take a step back and reflect.